In a renewed effort to further curb criminal activities in Ondo State, the Commander of the State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, has announced that the Corps has introduced Amotekun Ambassadors across the 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and the 18 local government areas of the state.
Describing this as a third layer of security being implemented by the Amotekun Corps, he explained that the objective is to have the Corps’ ears close to the ground in every corner of the state.
Adeleye said “these are armed men and youths who are deeply familiar with their communities, knowing both the positive and negative happenings. Nothing escapes their notice.
“We have brought them together to gather first-class, first-hand information on all activities, particularly criminal activities, in every major city, town, and village in the state,” he said.
To facilitate their work, the government has provided communication equipment with features that enable recording, dissemination of information to the headquarters, and other functionalities to make the task easier.
“This initiative is part of the Lucky Aiyedatiwa plan to create employment opportunities for the youth.
“With this, we are now closer to the grassroots than ever before, and we are confident that, in collaboration with the Amotekun rangers, criminal activities in our forest areas will soon be a thing of the past,” Adeleye added.
The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on youth empowerment and job creation, Mr Orioye Benedict, remarked, “We are here to ensure the safety of lives and properties of the people of Ondo State, starting with our community-based youth leaders and the LCDAs.
“We appreciate the Amotekun Corps and its Commandant for embracing this vision.
“We are grateful to the Governor for promptly approving the Amotekun Change Agent because the security of lives and properties is everyone’s responsibility.
“There is no job opportunity or empowerment initiative that can be successful without involving the youth, who are central to the Governor’s mandate of empowerment, engagement, and employment.
“This aligns with the people-public-private partnership initiative of the Governor, and the people have fully embraced it.
“With the communication gadgets provided, they can easily report any suspicious activity directly to the appropriate authorities. We thank the government of Ondo State and the Amotekun Corps for supporting the youth.
“This initiative has already created immediate employment for 51 youths in Ondo State who are based in their communities and are recognised by their respective traditional leaders,” Benedict concluded.
